Stoneville, NexGen cotton features premium seed treatments

Jan 13, 2006

Growers purchasing Stoneville and NexGen brand cottonseed for the 2006 season will benefit from a choice of premium seed treatments that provide control of key nematodes, diseases and early-season cotton insects.

“Stoneville and NexGen cottonseed are already known for their superior emergence and rapid stand establishment,” says Kyle Maple, U.S. cotton marketing manager. “Offering these seed brands with protective seed treatments will further enhance our customers' efforts to obtain quick emergence and a healthy, uniform stand — and to protect that stand in the crucial early phases of cotton growth and development.”

“All of these top-performing seed treatments will help growers protect their seed investment, the elite germplasm and the latest biotechnology traits offered by these major cottonseed brands,” Maple explains.

Maple adds that farmers can either have their Stoneville or NexGen cottonseed pretreated with these seed treatment products, or they can purchase their seed and have it treated by their retailer.

Rob Ihrig, U.S. cotton product manager for Monsanto, says that Avicta Complete Pak provides early-season control of root-knot and reniform nematodes, thrips and aphids, and cotton seedling diseases such as pythium, rhizoctonia and fusarium. The components of Avicta Complete Pak include Cruiser insecticide, Dynasty fungicide and Avicta nematicide.

Gaucho Grande delivers exceptional protection against early-season damage caused by aphids and thrips, including Western flower thrips, along with early activity on plant bugs.

“These treatment combinations will help growers further mitigate the risk of slow stand development or stand loss,” Ihrig explains. “It will also increase planting efficiency and especially help growers who have a narrow planting window. Growers won't have to rely on in-furrow insecticides and nematicides.”

Ihrig also says that one of the most popular Stoneville cotton varieties — ST5599BR — has been documented to provide a level of tolerance to root-knot nematodes. Treatment of this variety with Avicta will further strengthen the cotton's defense against this particular nematode pest.